From Kittypet to Warrior
by Caramel Cheescake
Summary: Follow the adventures and life of the alley kit who stumbles upon the Warriors and slowly comes to realize that she plays a very, very important role in Clan life.
1. Prolouge

This is the All New, Updated Character Description Chapter! Most of the names were provided by Rowana Renee', who is now my betareader. I am working on the next chapter, and this story will hopefully be updated soon.

Thank you all for waiting and reading.

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EarthClan

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**Clan leader:** _Boulderstar_- Rocky gray tom with amber eyes.

**Deputy:** _Pebblefur_- White tom with pebble shaped grey spots and green eyes.

**Medicine cat:** _Elmfur_- Woody brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Mentor to Snowpaw.

**Warriors**

_Leafdrift_- Brown tabby she-cat with white paws and blue eyes.

_Darkpelt_- Smokey gray tom with a black-tipped tail, black belly and paws and yellow eyes.

_Chesnutfur_- Chesnut-brown tom with light blue eyes.

_Longfur_- Longhaired blue-gray tom with blue eyes. Mentor to Birchpaw.

_Cloudstorm_- Stormy gray she-cat with amber eyes. Mentor to Thunderpaw.

_Foxheart_- Fox-coloured she-cat with green eyes.

_Fernleaf_- Light brown she-cat with light green eyes. Mentor to Sparrowpaw.

_Oakclaw_- Dark brown tom with black paws and orange eyes.

_Hawkfang_- Silver-gray tabby tom with amber eyes. Mentor to Yewpaw.

_Creamfoot_- Dark brown she-cat with a cream tipped tail and paws and blue eyes.

**Queens** **(and kits)**

_Violetfeather_- Glossy black she-cat with purple-ish blue eyes.

_Dawnfur_- Bright cream-coloured she-cat with green eyes.

_Goldenheart_- Golden-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes.

_Doveheart_- Dusty white she-cat with blue eyes.

**Elders**

_Eagle-eye_- Keen-sighted silver tabby tom with amber eyes.

_Grayear_- White she-cat with grey ears and blue eyes.

_Bobtail_- Ginger tabby she-cat with orange eyes and no tail.

_Rainstorm_- She-cat with gray-streaked white fur and amber eyes.

**Apprentices**

_Snowpaw_- Snow white she-cat with green eyes.

_Yewpaw_- Black tom with a white star on his forehead and green eyes.

_Birchpaw_- White she-cat with thin black stripes and blue eyes.

_Thunderpaw_- Black she-cat with a white tipped tail, three white paws and one white ear. Has green eyes.

_Sparrowpaw_- Speckled brown tom with yellow eyes.

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**MistClan

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**Leader:** _Cloudstar-_ Long haired pure white tom.

**Deputy:** _Sandstripe- _Sandy yellow tabby she-cat.

**Medicine Cat: **_Reedtail- _Dull gray-brown tom.

**Warriors**

_Lilycrest-_ Solid cream coloured she-cat.

_Rippleheart- _Gray-blue tabby she-cat_.  
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_Sunnyshore- _Golden tabby she-cat. Mentor to Lizardpaw._  
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_Mistylake- _Deep blue-gray she-cat._  
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_Stormcloud- _Stormy gray she-cat._  
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_Shallowpool- _Light gray tom with silver paws._  
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_Ebbtide- _Light ginger tabby tom. Mentor to Snakepaw._  
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_Frostdrop-_ Silvery white tom. Mentor to Irispaw.

_Shiningsea- _Silver tabby tom._  
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_Wildriver- _Light gray tom with silver stripes. Mentor to Lotuspaw.

**Apprentices**

_Lotuspaw- _Light cream-coloured she-cat._  
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_Irispaw- _Dusky blue she-cat._  
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_Snakepaw- _Deep ginger tabby tom_.  
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_Lizardpaw- _Solid black tom.

**Queens (and kits)**

_Lynxpelt- _Solid golden brown she-cat._ (Rainkit, Dewkit, Rushingkit)_

**Elders**

_Gorsefang- _Faded black tom._  
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_Shadycreek- _Shadowy gray tom.

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**LeafClan**

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**Leader: **_Maplestar- _Reddish brown tom.

**Deputy:** _Silverwing-_ Light gray tabby tom.

**Medicine Cat:** _Pinefang- _Dark brown she-cat.

**Warriors**

_Gingerflame- _Ginger tabby she-cat_.  
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_Silversun- _Yellowish silver tom._  
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_Lilacshower-_ Dusky gray-blue she-cat with darker streaks of fur.

_Goldenoak- _Light brown tabby tom._  
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_Bluebutterfly- _Silvery blue she-cat._  
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_Fernflower- _Dappled shadowy brown she-cat. Mentor to Sunpaw.

_Talltree- _Long-legged dark brown tom. Mentor to Shadepaw.

_Mossfoot- _Soft brown tom with darker paws.

_Barkpelt- _Mottled brown tom._  
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_Greenroot- _Dark brown tom. Mentor to Redpaw._  
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_**Apprentices**_

_Redpaw- _Light yellowish-brown tom with darker stripes._  
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_Shadepaw- _Shadowy brown she-cat._  
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_Sunpaw- _Bright cream she-cat._  
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_**Queens (and kits)**_

_Swiftwind- _Light gray tabby._ (Ebonykit, Orchidkit)_

_Moonpelt- _Solid whitish-cream she-cat._ (Livingkit, Forestkit)_

_**Elders**_

_Needleclaw- _Faded gray tabby tom._  
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_Rabbitfoot- _Rabbit coloured she-cat._  
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_**DeathClan**_

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_Leader: Tornstar- _Deep red tom._  
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_Deputy: Adderstrike-_ Deep ginger tabby she-cat.

_Medicine Cat: Coalfur- _Sleek black tom._  
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_**Warriors**_

_Eaglefang- _Sleek brown tom. Mentor to Tigerpaw._  
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_Emberclaw- _Fiery ginger-red tom._  
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_Stormstripe- _Stormy dark gray tabby tom._  
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_Viperfang- _Deep brown tabby she-cat._  
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_Ironjaw-_ White and silver tabby she-cat.

_Thorntail- _Gray and white she-cat._  
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_Waspclaw- _Yellow-orange tabby tom. Mentor to Lightningpaw._  
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_Shadowheart- _Dark gray tom with black chest fur. Mentor to Ratpaw._  
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_Ravenwing-_ Soft black she-cat.

_Blacknight- _Back she-cat with white paws. Mentor to Sparkpaw._  
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**Apprentices**

_Lightningpaw- _Dark reddish-brown tom with darker tail-tip and paws. _  
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_Tigerpaw- _Orange and black tabby she-cat._  
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_Sparkpaw- _Ginger tom with reddish patches._  
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_Ratpaw- _Small gray tom._  
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**Queens (and kits)**

_Crystalfang- _Clear gray she-cat. _(Crowkit)_

_Dawnshine- _Gray and cream tabby. _(Yarrowkit)_

**Elders**

_Baderfang- _Black she-cat with white chest and a white stripe._  
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_Thislewhisker- _Deep blue-gray she-cat._  
_


	2. Chapter One

The sunlight through the trees made dappled, moving shadows that hid my quiet stalking. Two fox-lengths through the grass in front of me, sat a small field mouse. Nibbling on a small seed, it was oblivious to my presence. Well, my standing downwind helped too. My quick, quiet pawsteps were shortening the distance between us. Yet the mouse still eats, oblivious to it's impending doom. When I'm half a tail-length away, still hidden in the tall grass, I pounce, landing on the mouse. I end it's life with a quick bite.

Yeah, right. That's never going to happen to me. I don't even live in a forest. Or have a home. (I'm a pound kitty, you know, like pound puppy? Hahahaha... No? Okay then. Jeez, would it kill you to laugh?)

I'm three moons old and I've had about four homes. Kinda. They all threw me out when I didn't, umm, go where they wanted me to.

My pelt in mainly black;my belly and three of my paws are white, as well as my left ear and the tip of my tail. I have green eyes. I'm also pretty lucky to be alive. All I get to eat is what the twolegs put out for me. And I'm never sure of where to sleep, because I might get killed by other animals. Oh yeah, and I'm a girl.

Right now, I'm standing on the side of a thunderpath, waiting to cross. There's a simple way for knowing how to cross, wait for the big groups of twolegs to start crossing, and walk with them. It's pretty easy, but sometimes I have to watch out for some twolegs who try to kick me. I know it sounds horrible, but you learn to live with it.

After I cross the thunerpath, I try to find a place to sleep. Ignoring the growing pangs in my stomach, I scan the alleyway. I find a box that looks perfect until a dog peeks out of it. I don't stick around long enough to find out if he would hurt me or not.

After about an hour, I settle for the corner of an abandoned barn. Getting there required a lot of walking.

"Well, things can't get any worse."

I was wrong though. And when things got worse, it looked like things were getting better.


	3. Chapter Two

I wake up at sunrise the next morning, more from hunger than anything else. It'll take too long to walk back to the city, but if I go into the forest, there's a really big chance that I'll get killed. Then my stomach growls.

"Okay, forest it is."

I enter the forest, walking very slowly and as quietly as I can. That is, until I see a mouse. (I couldn't help what happened next; it was instinct okay?!?!)

I drop into a low crouch, and start pulling myself, pawstep by pawstep, towards the mouse. When I get close, I freeze for a second, then pounce. And....I miss. Suddenly I hear a deep growl behind me. "What are you doing here?"

I whirl around quickly and see a huge cat behind me. His back, head, tail and chest are a smokey grey, while his belly and paws are black. His eyes glow a menacing yellow.

"I was, I-" My voice trails into a squeak, and I stand there shivering. "I'm sorry."

He glares at me unblinkingly. "You don't belong here."

"Oh, leave her alone. She's just a kit."

My ears swivel towards the new voice, but I don't take my eyes off the first cat. I listen as they argue with each other.

"She shouldn't be here." says the first cat.

"Well, the warrior code doesn't allow you to hurt kits." the second responds. She's a brown tabby with white paws and blue eyes.

"What's the warrior code?" I ask. They both turn towards me and I cringe.

"Nothing you would know." the tom snarls.

"Oh, be quiet, Darkpelt." the she-cat he voice changes back to the gentle tone she was using earlier. "The warrior code is a set of rules that we have to follow. For example, the warrior code forbids harming kits, no matter where they're from." she adds with a slight glare towards Darkpelt. Then she directs her attention back to me. "What's your name?"

I hesitate. I've never actually had a permanent name. "I don't know."

"Well, what did your mother call you?"

"I don't know. I can't remember my mother." Sadly, that's the truth. My earliest memory is getting yelled at for not going in the sandbox.

"Well, you can always stay with us."

"What?! No she can't!" Darkpelt sound utterly apalled by this idea.

She (I don't know her name yet) turns to him and their voices drop so low, I can only hear parts of what they're saying.

"...Obviously has nowhere else to go.."

"That kittypet is too soft to live here."

That much I understood. "I'm not a kittypet." They both whirl to face me; Darkpelt's eyes burn into me, but I meet his gaze evenly. "I'm not a kittypet." I repeat.

"But I thought you lived with twolegs." the she-cat says.

I shake my head, and she gives me a pitying look. "Then you can come with us." She stares Darkpelt down before he can say anything. "I'm Leafdrift, by the way."

She gives me a look, a look that nobody's given me in my entire life.

It was sympathy


	4. Chapter Three

"Follow me." says Leafdrift, then she and Darkpelt turn and disappear into the undergrowth.

I follow them through brambles, over logs, and around boulders, but stop when they come to a wide stream. Leafdrift is halfway across when she turns and sees me. "What's wrong?" I look at her and say in a barely audible mew, "I'm scared of water."

Darkpelt's already on the other side. He sneers, "I told you she was too soft."

Leafdrift shoots him a glare and comes back to the shore beside me. "Why?"

My mind drifts back to a moon ago. "I was playing with a leaf and it floated into a pond. I tried to reach it and-" I stop to swallow, then continue. "And I fell in. It was wet and I couldn't breathe and-" I stop again, shivering. "I can't. I'm sorry." I feel her press her fur against mine comfortingly.

She mews softly in my ear, "We'll find another way across. Alright?" I turn to face her. Her blue eyes meet mine reassuringly. I nod, get up and walk down the bank with her. And she explains the whole clan thing.

"There are four clans, MistClan, EarthClan, LeafClan and DeathClan." I turn to her.

"DeathClan?"

She nods grimly. "DeathClan has always been trying to take over the forest. And they don't care how." Then she changes the subject. "We're part of EarthClan."

In the time it took to walk to camp, she explained how everyone in the clan helps each other and the whole naming system.

"So, if I get accepted into EarthClan, I get a name?"

"Yes." Leafdrift replies. "And when you're old enough, you'll have a mentor and, hopefully, you'll become a warrior."

_Hopefully?_

When she's finished talking, we are in front of a wall of hedges with one opening. She walks up to it and ducks inside. "This way."

I follow her, and when I get through, I see a really big camp. Straight across from the opening I just came through, there's a small cave, which Leafdrift is walking towards.

"Stay here." She calls over her shoulder. Not like I'm going anywhere.

While I'm looking around the camp, a kit about my age slams into me and knocks me over. She's white with thin black stripes and she has blue eyes. "Sorry. I didn't see you. I'm Birchkit. What's your name?" Her eyes are sparkling and friendly, but I'm still kinda wary.

"I don't know."

Her face changes from cheerful to confused. "How could you not know? Didn't your mother name you?"

I shake my head. "I can't remember my mother."

"If you can't remember your mother, then-" She gets cut off by Leafdrift. "Hello Birchkit. I see you've found our newest clan member."

Birchkit turns towards Leafdrift. "Clan member?" Leafdrift nods. That's when I notice the other cat. He's a rocky gray, muscular and has amber eyes. His voice matches his appearance, strong and authorative. "Birchkit, why don't you go and play with the other kits?" Birchkit knew it wasn't a request.

"Yes, Boulderstar." She walks to another part of the camp and I focus on Boulderstar. "I'm the Clan's leader." He begins. "Leafdrift told me that you don't have anywhere to go." I shake my head. He continues, "If you join the clan, you will have to be loyal, even at the cost of your life. You will have to put the needs of the clan before your own. Are you sure you want to join?"

"Yes."

He looks at Leafdrift, and she nods. He then walks towards a large rock in the middle of camp. He leaps onto it and calls, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around Highrock for a clan meeting."

After he says that, most of the cats in the clearing gather around Highrock (duh). Leafdrift nudges me towards Highrock and steers me towards the front of the crowd. Then Boulderstar starts speaking.

"Today, our warriors, Leafdrift and Darkpelt, found a stray and starving kit wandering around the forest. This kit has never had a home or known her mother. Out of the kindness of their hearts, Leafdrift and Darkpelt brought her here and offered her a home. Unlike some clans, we do not harm cats who cannot defend themselves, nor do we turn away any cat that needs our help. So I ask you, cats of EarthClan, to accept this orphaned and hungry kit into our clan and treat her as if she were clan-born."

Behind me, I hear all (I'm serious, all of them) of the cats say yes. Boulderstar looks directly at me, and continues "Then, with the approval of this clan, I hereby name this kit," He pauses and tilts his head, as if listening to voices no other cat can hear. "Thunderkit. Welcome to the clan. May you learn courage, kindness, and most of all, loyalty."

Leafdrift nudges my shoulder. "Follow me." She leads me into a hole that leads to a den. "This is the nursery. You'll stay here until you're old enough to be an apprentice." Then she turns and leaves.

"Hey, it's you!" I turn, and it's Birchkit. She's smiling. "So, what's you name?"

I smile back. "Thunderkit."


	5. Chaper Four

Lightning flashes, and suddenly, there's a cat standing in front of me. He's a dark reddish-brown; the tip of his tail and his paws are a darker shade then the rest of his body, and his eyes are amber. He smiles at me, then vanishes. After he vanishes, there's a rumble of thunder, and out of the thunder comes a grief-filled wail. Everything turns dark, then three points of light appear. One dies out almost immediately, but the others grow until they become blinding. They flash, then become the night sky. Then everything fades again.

Somebody's poking my shoulder. No, wait, that's real. I roll onto my other side. "Quit it."

"Get up, Thunderkit." Birchkit's bright, chirpy voice creeps up on my sleep and rips it to sheds. "It's morning, and the whole clan is awake."

"Birchkit, it doesn't matter if the whole clan is awake, but if I want to sleep, I am going to sleep." I open my eyes just a little bit, and I see Birchkit looking at me with the most mournful expression I've ever seen. "Okay, okay, I'll get up." Her face brightens. I smile inwardly; it doesn't take much to make Birchkit happy.

I get up, walk out of the nursery and squint in the bright light. The nursery's opening faces east, so the sun shines into of the nursery when it rises.

"Come on Thunderkit! Let's go see if we can find Mother!" Birchkit squeals happily.

If you know me, then you know that I wasn't born here. Birchkit's mother took me in, because there was no other queen who would. That, and Birchkit likes me.

I watch Birchkit run for a second, then I run after her. And I slam into Chesnutfur.

Chesnutfur's name is pretty self-explanitory. The only thing you can't get from his name is that his eyes are light blue.

"Hey, watch it!" He snaps at me. "Do you ever watch where you're going?"

Birchkit responds before I even get to absorb that he's mad at me. "It was an accident. The sun was shining in her eyes."

His gaze shifts from me to her. "You can't talk to me like that, I outrank you!"

She meets his gaze evenly. "You may be a warrior, but you're still my brother. We're going to apprentices tomorrow anyway."

He opens his mouth to say something.

"Chesnutfur, we need you for the patrol!" A voice calles out from the far side of the camp. Darkpelt. I've been part of this clan for almost three moons now, but I still don't like him. But his voice makes Chesnutfur start trotting across camp. Just before he leaves the camp, he calls over his shoulder, "You two might be becoming apprentices tomorrow, but it'll take you forever to become warriors!".

I watch him leave, and then somebody barrels into me from behind. Judging from the scent, it's Sparrowkit; he has a habit of attacking cats from behind.

"Um, could you get off of me, please?"

"No. Hey, I have a great idea!"

Uh-oh. His great ideas always get us into trouble.

"Let's go to the Deathclan border!"

Oh Starclan, I was afraid of that.

"You want to what!?!" I yowl at him.

Here's another thing about Sparrowkit. He's kinda sarcastic. "Well, first, I want you to yowl it to the entire clan." He climbs off me. "What's the big deal? We're going to be apprentices tomorrow anyway. They can't do anything to us."

I get up and look straight into his yellow eyes. "But Deathclan can."

"I'll do it!" Birchkit chirps. They should have named _her_ Sparrowkit. "Just as long as we don't get caught."

Sparrowkit smiles slyly. "Don't worry, we won't. As long as Thunderkit doesn't rat us out." He shoots me an accusing look at the end of this statment.

I sigh. "I'll go. But if we get killed, I'm going to re-kill you when we get to Silverpelt."

He smiles triumphantly. "No problem."

Five minutes later, we're slinking through the forest. "You do this a lot, don't you" I ask.

"Yup. That's how I know where to go." Jeez, he could at least deny it.

A sharp, pungent scent reaches my nose. But Birchkit asks before I get to. "What's that smell?"

Immediately we hear sharp yapping behind us. And Sparrowkit says the exact thing we're thinking: "Run!!!" and then instinct kicks in, and we run.

You know, when you're running, you barely hear anything other than your running. But I definently heard Sparrowkit yowl. I skid to a stop, and spin around to see him hanging from a big fuzzy red animal's mouth. Thankfully he's hanging by his back leg. I start to run towards them.

"Thunderkit! What are you doing!?" Birchkit yowls, still running.

"Saving Sparrowkit!" _Trying to, at least._ I launch myself at the creature's face, clawing anything I can reach. It yips, drops Sparrowkit, and snaps at me. I leap backwards, narrowly avoiding its jaws. We continue that until I hear a battle cry. A very familiar one. It's Leafdrift. I turn towards her, then feel a sharp pain in my back leg and let out an involuntary squeal. I run, limping, towards Leafdrift. Then she and about three other warriors run towards the animal and attack it. Chesnutfur stands beside me and Birchkit.

"What is that?" She mews, scared.

"It's a fox." He answers.

Fifteen minutes later, Sparrowkit and I are in the medicine cat's den. And believe it or not, we're not in trouble. I turn towards the medicine cat, Elmfur, and ask "Will Sparrowkit be okay?"

He sighs. "I don't know. But you will be."

"Thanks."

I hear Boulderstar call Elmfur, and he gives my a slight nod before he walks out.

I can't hear most of their conversation; all I hear is this:

_Thunder will come after lightning ends..._


	6. Chapter Five

Despite all the trouble that I got into yesterday, I'm really excited. I was actually up before Birchkit this morning. That's saying something. Oh yeah, I need to fill you in. We're ('we' being me and Birchkit) at the foot of Highrock waiting to be appointed to our mentors. Fidgeting. Well, I'm fidgeting. Normally, Birchkit would barely be able to sit still, but after what happened to Sparrowkit yesterday, she's been, well, un-Birchkit-ish. I mean, she's usually bright and chirpy, and even though it gets on my nerves sometimes, it's kinda comforting.

Boulderstar's voice drags me from my thoughts.

"We have assembled here today to appoint two new apprentices." He glances around the clearing, then continues. "Birchkit," She stiffens. "Your mentor will be Longfur. Longfur, you have shown courage, responsibility, stamina and you have proved to be an exceptional mentor in the past. I know you will pass on your incredible abilities to Birchkit. Birchkit, from this moment onward, you will be known as Birchpaw."

He fixes his amber-eyed gaze on me. "Thunderkit, your mentor will be Cloudstorm. Cloudstorm, you have shown independence, bravery and loyalty. I hope you will pass these traits on to your first apprentice. Thunderkit, from this moment onward, you will be known as Thunderpaw."

When Boulderstar has finished speaking, Longfur and Cloudstorm walk forward and touch our noses with theirs.

After being congratulated about a thousand times, I go to the medicine cat's den to see Sparrowkit. And maybe to gloat a little bit. He was really happy to see me though. In his own special way.

"Oh, so you remembered that I'm alive."

"Hi, Sparrowkit. How's that leg doing?"

"It burns. A lot. But that's not important." Saying his problems aren't important? If I knew that injuring Sparrowkit would make him nicer, I would've clawed him long ago.

"Thunderpaw! After you left yesterday, Elmfur and Boulderstar were talking about a prophesy and I think-"

"Sparrowkit," Elmfur says, suddenly appearing behind me. "How's that leg doing?"

"Fine Elmfur." Sparrowkit mews quietly, looking down.

Elmfur turns to me. "Thunderpaw, I think your mentor wants you."

"Thunderpaw!" Cloudstorm calls.

_Uncanny..._

"Bye, Sparrowkit, I'll tell you all about being an apprentice!" I say, smirking.

_If I'm part of a prophesy, why isn't anybody telling me?_


	7. Chapter Six

I'm really sorry for taking sooooo long to update, but hopefully I'll be updating on a more constant basis now that I have a beta reader, Rowana Renee'.

Thank you for waiting so patiently.

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"Ow! Mother, you're grooming me backwards!" I try to squirm free, but she pins me to the floor of the nursery and starts licking me harder.  
I moan miserably. "Mother, that hurts!"

I hear her snort gently. "Well, honestly, Lightningkit, you're the one who decided to get sap in his fur by climbing trees. On the day of your apprentice ceremony too! Why, when your sister became an apprentice..."

I tune her out. I hate it when my mother talks about my half sister like she gave birth to her. It's not that I don't love my sister, honest. It's just that my mother pays more attention to her than she does to me, and whenever she does pay attention to me, it always seems like she's saying, 'Why can't you be like Tigerpaw?'. Like my existence is a giant disappointment because I'm not a clone of Tigerpaw.

She roughly yanks out a hunk of sap-covered fur, making me squeal.

"Oh, hush. You'll be in a lot more pain if you ever become a warrior."

_If_ I ever become a warrior. That's inspiring.

I grit my teeth and squeeze mt eyes shut as she tears out another hunk. And another. Then two more. Great StarClan, at this rate, I won't have any fur _left_ for my apprentice ceremony.

"Thorntail, I can do that." I open my eyes, see Tigerpaw and feel hope that she'll save me swell within me.

"Oh, no," My mother says in a sweet voice that she never uses on me. "I'm almost finished anyway."

"It's no trouble. I need to talk to him about the apprentice ceremony, anyway."

"All right," My mother says, shooting me a look that clearly says, 'look at how generous Tigerpaw is'.

I close my eyes again and focus on holding in a frustrated scream. A few seconds later I feel Tigerpaw grooming me the _right_ way.

"You don't like your mother much, do you?"

I sigh and re-open my eyes. "Well, since I' not like _you_, there's no point in my existing."

"You didn't answer my question."

I squeeze my eyes tightly shut (again) and say, barely audibly, "No, I don't like my brother. But I still love her. And please don't ask me what that means, because _I_ have no idea."

Tigerpaw stops licking me. "There, I got all of the sap out."

I re-re-open my eyes and look into her amber ones, silently begging her to keep talking to me, because I don't my mother to start lecturing me again.

Thankfully, she gets the message. "Come on, I'll show you and Ratkit the borders so you can impress you future mentors. How does that sound?"

I grin widely up at her and she grins back. "Get Ratkit and follow me."

**(Magical time skip that I can do because I'm the author!!!)**

"Ow! I just got _another_ burr in my pelt!"

I sigh and don't even bother to look back this time. "Honestly Ratkit, you're such a..." I glance at Tigerpaw, who's giving me a look that says, 'such a what? Kit?'.  
"Such a newborn."

Tigerpaw chuckled. "Nice save."

Ratkit either ignored or completely missed what Tigerpaw just said. "My mother just got me clean! And she told me not to get _anything_ in my fur. Oh, man, I'm going to be in sooo much _trouble_..."

Tigerpaw immediately takes pity on him; Ratkit's mother isn't one to be trifled with. "Look, I'll clean you up before we get home, okay?"

He cheers up immediately. "Okay."

She leads us through the forest for a few more minutes, then stops at a line if trees where the familiar scent of home abruptly changes to two different scents: a sharp, bitter scent and a scent that isn't welcoming, but isn't that hostile either.

I hear a slight rustling on the leaf-covered forest floor and catch the scent of a squirrel.

**(Flashback Time!!)**

_I look around, confused. This isn't home! It doesn't _look_ like home, because home has a nursery and an elders den and a HighRock. This place doesn't. And it doesn't _smell_ like home, because home smells like Mother and Ratkit and Tigerkit, who's going to become Tiger_paw_ today, and this place doesn't. This place smells like moss and ferns and flowers and-_

_I stand on my hind legs, inhaling deeply. I know that smell. It's...it's...squirrel! I know! I can catch that squirrel and give it to Tigerkit at the end of her apprentice ceremony, because Mother says I can't go because I'm not old enough to catch my own prey. Hey, maybe I can _go_ to Tigerkit's ceremony after I catch this squirrel!_

_I spot the squirrel and drop into a crouch and lay motionless as the squirrel wanders closer and closer. As soon as the squirrel gets close enough, I instinctively shoot forward, pin it down and finish it off with a quick bite._

_I purr over my first kill for all of five heartbeats before Mother finds me._

_"Lightningkit, what are you doing out here?!"_

_Euphorically oblivious to her irritation, I say, "I caught a squirrel Mother!"_

_She looks down at my fresh-kill condescendingly. "That thing is more fuzz than meat."_

_My heart sinks. "But I...I was going to give it to Tigerkit after her apprentice ceremony..."_

_Mother sighs in exasperation. "Fine," She says curtly. "Pick that thing up and follow me."_

_My heart swells with pride as I pick up the squirrel and trot after Mother even though it's half my size and I keep tripping over its tail._

_Mother leads me to the nursery and tells me to _stay _there._

_"I'll bring Tigerkit after her apprentice ceremony. I honestly don't know why you ran off. Tigerkit _never_ did this when _she_ was three moons old."_

It was an accident_, I think as she walks away._

_Ten minutes later, Tigerpaw comes to the nursery with Sparkpaw. She purrs and congratulates me and fusses over me, but I can't help thinking the _Mother_ is the one who's supposed to be doing this..._

Irritated, I shake my head to get rid of the memory. I hiss quietly at the squirrel, and it bolts up the nearest tree after taking one look at me.

I look back at Tigerpaw and see her looking around uneasily.

"Come on you two, I smell a fox. We need to get away from here."

"B-but you said you'd clean me up before we went back to camp!"

Tigerpaw turns to Ratkit. "And I will. Just not this close to the border."

Ten minutes later, we're back at camp, complete with a clean and burr-free Ratkit.

"You two stay here. I have to check something."

"But-"

"Lightningit," Tigerpaw says, staring me it the eye. "I swear I'll be back in time for your apprentice ceremony."

I sigh, hoping she's right. "Okay."

She smiles at me and leaves camp.

* * *

Tigerpaw raced back to the border. Since she had promised to be at Lightningkit's apprentice ceremony, (because she knew how much it means to him, and because he needs the moral support his mother doesn't give him) she had to get this done as soon as possible.

She stopped at the border, hesitating. _Should I cross it, or shouldn't I?_ She decides on the latter and follows the scent into EarthClan territory, painfully aware of how much noise her paw are making on the Leaf-Fall leaves.

When she gets fifty paw-steps into EarthClan territory, she stops. The strong smell of fox is now mixing with the sharp scents of fear, blood and EarthClan cats. Not only that, the scents are so strong that whatever happened must have happened today.

Tigerpaw makes a mental note to tell her mentor about the smell of fox near the border and races back to camp.

* * *

I stare at the patch of forest that Tigerpaw disappeared into, willing her to come back before-

"Lightningkit, Ratkit, time for your apprentice ceremony!" Sparkpaw calls out, heading toward us. "What are you waiting for?"

I drag my gaze from the forest to Sparkpaw's face. "Tigerpaw went to check on something. she said she'd be back before..." I trail off and sigh.

Sparkpaw's green eyes flick to the forest, then back to me. "Well, your apprentice ceremony is about to start and you'll be in a lot of trouble if you're late."

I sigh and start walking towards HighRock.

When I'm about halfway there, somebody lands on my back, pressing me the ground and pushing the air out of my lungs. Tigerpaw's familiar scent reaches my nose just as her voice reaches my ears.

"I told you I'd be back, didn't I?"

I'd purr if I could breathe.

"Tigerpaw, get off of him before he dies a kit."

She laughs, gets off of me and trots ahead of us towards HighRock.

As soon as I reach the base, Tornstar, my father, calls out, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a clan meeting."

I sit at the base of HighRock, like I'm supposed to, as the clan starts to gather.

"This is a proud day for DeathClan. In naming these two apprentices, it shows that our kits thrive to apprenticeship and that our clan will remain strong. Lightningkit, Ratkit, from this moment onward, until you are named warriors, you will be known as Lightningpaw and Ratpaw.

"Ratpaw, your mentor will be Shadowheart. Shadowheart, you have mentored many fine warriors and I'm sure you will teach Ratpaw as well as you have taught them."

Right after Shadowheart stepped forward and touched noses with him, Ratpaw sneezes and I struggle to hold in laughter.

"Lightningpaw."

I tense and stare straight ahead instead of looking at Ratpaw.

"Your mentor will be Waspclaw. Waspclaw, Lightningpaw is your first apprentice. I hope you will be able to pass your loyalty, agility and ferocity in battle onto him."

Waspclaw pads nervously up to me and touches noses with me.

He became a warrior a couple of days before Tigerpaw became an apprentice, so this is a _big_ deal for him.

I look into his amber eyes and give him a encouraging smile.

He relaxes and smiles back at me just as the clan starts chanting our apprentice names.

I turn, look at the crowd of cheering cats and focus on my mother.

She isn't smiling, and the expression on her face is very clear.

_Don't screw this up._


End file.
